The 2023 ‘Barbie’ movie took the world by storm with it’s unexpected addressal of women’s issues in today’s society. In honor of Women’s History Month and being a Barbie girl, here are a few of the many women’s issues addressed in the Barbie movie.
Catcalling
In the first scene of Barbie and Ken entering the real world, Barbie is faced with men whistling at her and calling her names. Barbie starts to feel self conscious and describes the world as having “an undertone of violence”. This is an issue that women have to live with daily. Feeling extra conscious of themselves when in public and having to be hyper aware of their surroundings to ensure their safety. All Barbie was doing was roller skating on Venice Beach and she felt uncomfortable because of the unwanted attention she was receiving from strangers she passed by. This is a prime example of what many women deal with on a day-to-day basis when doing simple daily activities.
Objectifying Women
When Barbie was arrested for stealing her iconic pink cowgirl outfit, the officers who arrested her made inappropriate comments in regards to her body. While Barbie visibly looks uncomfortable the officers comment “She looks even better in more clothes,” and “Because you can imagine more”. The fact that the officers are making these remarks in front of Barbie is an issue in and of itself. The issue here is that whether a woman is wearing a leotard or a full cowgirl outfit she is often objectified. The deeper meaning found in this happening to Barbie is that she is a doll representing a woman who is being looked at and spoken about like an object. Women get treated the same way and are often not respected as people but merely seen for their bodies like an object.
Patriarchy
Throughout the entirety of the movie it is evident that Barbieland and The Real World are polar opposites in terms of positions of power. In Barbieland the president and the Supreme Court are all women. In our world, those positions are and always have been held by men. When Ken brings his male dominance view of the world into Barbieland, the way the Barbies act completely changes. All of the Barbies who had power and were well educated women turned into servants for the Kens. This is an image of how the systems in the world are set up. Men hold positions of power and women are looked at to serve men and cater to their needs. The issue at hand here is that women are not treated as equals and because primarily men are in positions of power, women do not have much of a voice to change the patriarchy.
Contradictory Expectations
Towards the end of the movie Barbie has a break down because she feels that she is no longer pretty or smart enough to be ‘Stereotypical Barbie’. Gloria responds to Barbie by giving a speech about many of the unrealistic expectations placed on women and how they are contradictory. “You have to be a boss but you can’t be mean.” “You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining.” “You’re supposed to stay pretty for men but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you’re supposed to be a part of the sisterhood but always stand out.” These are just a few of the expectations pointed out in the speech but what is revealed is how impossible it is to be a woman. Society holds so many unrealistic standards for women that don’t align with one another. The issue is that women are placed in a box (like a Barbie doll) and society makes it seem like women are always doing something wrong or not doing enough. Women are often looked down upon for their ‘shortcomings’ instead of being appreciated for all that they do.
These are just a few of the many issues women deal with in today’s society that were touched on in the Barbie movie. Remember to always appreciate and thank the women in your life and show them respect. Happy Women’s History Month!